Fiberglass maker plans S.C. plant

A Chinese producer of fiberglass products has chosen Richland County, South Carolina as the location for its first US facility, as the Palmetto State continues to attract Chinese investment.

China Jushi Co Ltd, based in Tongxiang, Zhejiang province, is establishing US manufacturing operations in the Pineview Industrial Park, a 900-acre site in the southeastern part of Richland County. Richland is the state's second most populous county behind Greenville and is also home to South Carolina's capital, Columbia.

"The USA project is a big move for the strategic development of China Jushi. With the dynamic development of the American composite global market, plus the great support from South Carolina state government and Richland County, we believe that this USA project will achieve great success," China Jushi CEO Zhang Yuqiang said in a statement.

"South Carolina's workforce has proven to the world that we can build planes, cars, tires and carbon fiber, and now because of China Jushi's investment in Richland County, we are going to be making fiberglass products for one of the biggest companies in the market. This investment, which means 400 new jobs for South Carolinians, is a huge win for our state," said South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in a statement.

The first phase of the project is expected to bring in an investment of $300 million.

"Jushi's decision to locate in Richland County is a major step forward in our quest to recruit world-class companies. While today's announcement is a reason to celebrate, the county is committed to the company's long-term success in South Carolina," Richland County Council Chairman Torrey Rush said in a statement.

Jushi is the world's largest fiberglass manufacturer. Other products include complex fiber products and yarns for high-performance wind power and oil high pressure pipes.

South Carolina has been one of the most successful US states in luring foreign direct investment (FDI) that has created thousands of jobs, and China has been a strong source of FDI for the state.

The first Chinese manufacturing establishment in the US was made by Chinese appliance maker Haier Group with an investment of $40 million in Camden in 1999, according to Xiaobo Hu, director of the Center for China Studies at Clemson University.

South Carolina has become home to more than 20 Chinese companies that have brought in about $700 million in capital investment and directly employ more than 3,000.

In 2017, auto maker Volvo, a unit of China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co in Hangzhou, is scheduled to open a plant in Berkley County.

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily 06/02/2016 page2)